Police said Dremon O'Deal, 19, and Louis Santiago, 18, were booked into the Sacramento County Jail on charges of fighting in a public place. A 15-year-old was also booked on charges of fighting in public, police said.

The California Highway Patrol said customers and employees were escorted out of the mall through the front door during the busy shopping day after the mall was ordered to lock down because of the fight.

The evacuation was lifted shortly after 5 p.m., and people were allowed back inside shortly after.

"We got about 20 calls from inside the mall. Obviously, it raises a lot of suspicion," said Doug Morse, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. "There were a lot of reports initially, which are all unfounded, regarding shots fired or a gunman."

The incident started with pushing and shoving, police said.

The two adults taken into custody after the fight -- Santiago and O'Deal -- were released from jail on Thursday.

Santiago, who admitted to being one of the men who threw punches during the fight in the food court, told KCRA 3 that he was at the mall to shop.

"I feel bad. I send out all my apologies, you feel me? To all those families out there, you feel me? But it wasn’t my fault. I was just trying to do some shopping," Santiago said.

During the lockdown, employees at each store were told to move customers to the back of the stores.

"All of a sudden, I hear a loud noise and then I look over and there's probably about 10 guys fighting three other guys," said William Fewell, who works at one of the kiosks next to the food court. "I'm not sure why, but [I saw] different fights breaking out in all different areas."

KCRA 3’s Edie Lambert was also at the mall during the incident.

"People just started running," Lambert said. "There was panic."

"It was chaos from top to bottom. Nobody knew what direction to go. Kids were being carried on their strollers," said Irma Eakle, a shopper who had to evacuate.

A woman inside the mall received medical attention after she was knocked down.